Must-try soup recipes to brighten up your monsoon mood | Femina.in (2024)

Light drizzles have finally begun, bringing much-needed relief from the soaring temperatures. Monsoons call for cuddle-time with your blanket, lazing in front of the television set, or gazing out at the pitter-patter from your window. And the comfort food to go perfectly with all your monsoon moments is soup. Here are 5 soup recipes for you to whip up:

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients
600 g mushrooms
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
3 fl akes garlic, sliced
a few sprigs fresh parsley leaves,
chopped
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1 litre vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
50 ml cooking cream

Procedure
Peel off any tough outer skins of the mushroom caps, slice finely and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, some parsley leaves, thyme and mushrooms. Cook for four minutes.

Spoon a few mushrooms out of the pan and set aside. Add the stock in the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then whiz with a hand-blender until smooth. Add cream and bring to a boil.

Seafood Laksa

Ingredients
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves
¼ tsp turmeric powder
5 to 8 dried red chilli, stemmed
2 lemongrass stalks
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup shrimps, de-veined
1 cup fish, chopped
1 cup clams, cleaned
1 tsp shrimp paste
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
500 ml coconut milk
400 ml seafood broth
2 tsp sugar
salt, to taste
1 cinnamon stick
170 g moong sprouts, rinsed
225 g wide rice noodles
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, torn
a few lime wedges

Procedure
Grind coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin, cloves, turmeric, and chilli coarsely in a food processor. Peel the tough outer layers from lemongrass, then mash the core with a meat mallet.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shrimps, fish, clams, shrimp paste, shallots, and ground spices and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk, broth, sugar, and salt. Then add cinnamon and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Boil bean sprouts in a large pot of water until they are soft. Transfer sprouts to a bowl. Boil water in another pot and cook noodles until firm. Drain and rinse well.

Gazpacho Soup

Ingredients
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups canned tomato juice
2 tbsp fresh mixed herbs (tarragon,
thyme, parsley), chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 flakes garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt, to taste
Tabasco sauce, as required
basil leaves, for garnish

Procedure
In a bowl, reserve two tablespoons each of the tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion, for garnishing.

In a food processor, blend to purée the remaining ingredients until smooth, adjusting the seasoning to taste with lemon juice, salt and Tabasco sauce.

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients
30 ml olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
500 g red pumpkin, coarsely
chopped
250 g sweet potato, coarsely
chopped
1 tbsp cumin powder
5 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 long fresh red chilli, fi nely
chopped
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 pieces Lebanese bread

Procedure
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add half the ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, sweet potato andhalf the cumin and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high, add the vegetable stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer and cook until the pumpkin and sweet potato are very tender. Set aside to cool
slightly. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the coriander, chilli, coconut and remaining ginger in a small bowl.

Top with the coconut mixture. And serve it with bread.

Broccoli Stew

Ingredients
4 tbsp oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
½ kg broccoli flowerets
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
coconut milk, 1st and 2nd extract
from 1 coconut
salt and pepper, to taste
small bunch of coriander
juice of 1 lemon

Procedure
In a deep pan, take some oil, add chopped onions, red chilli, green chillies and ginger-garlic
paste. Fry until soft and golden.

Add broccoli and fry for three minutes. Then add tomatoes and potatoes and fry well. Add second extract of coconut milk.

Season the broccoli with salt and pepper, and add enough water, cover and simmer for five minutes.

Then add first extract of coconut milk, coriander and lemon juice. Cook for another three minutes. Serve hot with either dosa, roti, rice, or as is.

Hot Veg Broth

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 flakes garlic
2 onions, chopped
2 sprigs leek, chopped
2 sprigs celery, chopped
2 turnips, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 sprigs fennel leaves
1 bunch parsley stems, chopped
5 green chillies, slit
5 large cups water

Procedure
Heat oil in a sauce pan and fry the garlic for two minutes.

Add chopped onions. Fry till light brown. Then add the remaining vegetables and water, and bring it to a boil.

Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and serve.